Submarine battery



'FREY '& BURNHAM;

Marine Torped'o.

No. 11.218. Patented July 4. 1854.

N.PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTBN. D C

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Marine Torpedo. No. 11,218.

Patented July 4, 1854.

NPETERS, PHoTO-uTHoGRAPMER. wASmNGTON, D G.

' EREY BURNHAM.

Marine Torpedo,

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Patented Jul y 4, 1854.

* UNITE STATES FFTQE.

SUBNIARINE BATTERY.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. HL2E8, dated July 4,18134.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J. FREY and D. B. BURNHAM, of Battle Creek, in thecounty of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new andImproved Submarine Battery, of which the following is a specification.

Figure 1 is a perspectiye view. Fig. 2 is a plan of lower cabin, gun,and machinery. Fig. 3 is a plan of upper deck and smokepipe.

It consists of a propeller of about one hundred and fifty tons burthen,with an engine of suitable capacity situated in the bottom and near thestern. The lower section, A, Fig. 1, of the hull is constructed similarto other propellers, but thicker-say three feet thick. At three feetfrom bottom is a guard, B, put onfor the support and protection of theguns and gates. Upon this guard B are placed port-hole cases-one infront and as many in the sides as desired. The port-hole cases are castof iron, three feet wide, four feet long, and four feet high, and builtfirmly in with the sides of the boat. At the top of these cases it isdecked over and another guard, 0, put on, same as B. This upper guard,C, is calculated to be j ust under water. From this guard 0 commencesdouble sides D and E, Fig. 3. The inner one, D, is four feet'thick, andthe outer one, E, two feet thick, leaving a space between ofthreeinches, with ribsF running up and down every four feet, forming aseries of tanks, G. These double sides are carried up twelve feet. Atseven feet from upper guard or deck, C, is another deck, H, put on witha space, I, of about five feet between it and the cover K. The cover Kis boiler-plate iron, and perfo rated with numerous small holes, andsupported with stands upon the upper deck, H. The smoke-pipe L, Fig. 3,runs up from the furnace through the two interior decks, and forms a Tbetween the upper deck, H, and cover K, one arm L running forward to thebow of the boat and closed. This arm L has a damper, M, just forward ofthe elbow. The other arm runs back and through the back end of the boat.This end also has a damper. This pipe L is double, or is a pipe, N,within a pipe, both of which are perforated, so as, by turning the innerone, these openings are opened or closed, as desired.

The gates O to the port-holes are cast-iron,

and hung by the stem P, running up through the cap and down into thebed-plate of the p0rt-hole cases. They are lined up to the necessarythickness on the inside with wood and gutta-percha packing put on allthe joints and edges. There are two gates at each end of the.p0rt-hole-one set before and one behind the gun; the outer edges ofeach set or two shutting together, forming a wedge, all opening outward,and bearing a space of four feet between each set for the gun S, Fig. 2.They are fastened, when closed, by hooks and bars on the inside. Thesegates are opened and closed by means of a cog-wheel, T, on the top ofthe gate-stem I, which meshes into another cog-wheel onthe outer end ofa shaft, U, lead ing through from the inside of the boat. The gun S is ashort mortar, about three feet long, resting upon center-pins V. It isheld in place by a spring, \V, bearing upon one of the center-pins,which is flattened for that purpose. The ball X has a taper pointprojecting about ten inches from the muzzle of the gun, and has a shankabout twelve inches long, and same size of the bore of the gun. Aroundthis shank is placed a packing-collar. The ball at the muzzle of thegun, beinglarger than the shank forms a flange, which, being driven downagainst the collar and the collar against the muzzle, excludes allmoisture from the interior.

The object of the double sides D and E and the water-tanks O is toprevent the boat from being burned by hot balls. Should the enemy throwa hot ball into the side of this man-ot war, it is calculated that itwould pass through the outer side, E, and into the inner one, D, whereit would lodge, when the water from the tanks G (all of whichcommunicate with each other by an opening near the top) would flow uponit and cool it.

The object of the perforated iron deck or cover 'and the perforatedsmoke-pipe L is, in case an enemy undertakes to board this boat, tosmoke them off by closing the damper in the back end of the pipe andopening the damper M in the forward arm,and turningthe inner pipe, N, soas to emit the smoke into the upper chamber, I, from whence it has gotto escape throughthe opening in the cover K. By throwing a few shovelsfull of sulphur into the furnace you drive the enemy from the deckimmediately. The middle deck or cabin is intended to be used forordinary cannon, and

will be lighted by tubes and hatchways. Thelower cabin or hold is alsoventilated by hatchways.

Action of the subnuwine manofiwar.\Vhen this boat is brought intoaction,it is supposed to be loaded.- lVhen you approach an enemy, theoutside gates are thrown open, and when the touch-rod Y (which projectsa few feet beyond the boat,immcdiately under and in front of the gun)comes in contact with the object it is forced in, by which action theinner end of the touch-rod Y lets loose a spring, A, which spring, has ahammer on it so arranged as to strike another touch-rod, B, which isdriven, by means of a stuffing-box, through the inner gates and againstanother touch-rod, G, which passes, by means of a stuffing box, throughthe breech and into the interior of gun, Fig. 2, where it comes incontact with the percussion D, (which is inclosed with the cartridge inathin copper case, and lies against the lower end of the ball X,) whichcontact explodes the percussion and fires the gun, and when the gun isfired it revolves, which action lessens the concussion, drives the ballI through the hull of the enemy four or five feet under water, makingsuch a hole as could not be calked. The outside gates are then closed bythe shaft and cog-wheel, and the water in the port-hole is drawn off bythe pipe E into alarge tank or vat, F, in the bottom of the boat, fromwhere it is pumped out by means of apump worked by the engine.

After the water is drawn from the port-hole, the inner gates are opened,the gun turned with the muzzle inward, wiped dry and 1e loaded, placed.back, touch-rods and spring adjusted, inner gates closed and outer onesopened, and it is ready for another discharge.

Having thus fully explained the construction and action of ourinvention,what we claim, andwish to secure by Letters Patent, is

boat underwater, with port-holes and gates, in such a manner as the gunsmay be loaded and fired at pleasure.

JOSEPH FREY. D. B. BURNHAM. lVitnesses:

JOHN MEAcHAir, B. F. GRAVES.

Our arrangement of guns in the hull of a

